Japanese Listing Particles: と, や, とか, たり〜たり, し, なり
Japanese has multiple particles for listing items or actions, each with different nuances about completeness and formality. と lists exhaustively, や lists partially, とか is casual partial listing, たり〜たり lists representative actions, し lists reasons or qualities, and なり offers alternatives. Choosing the right particle is essential from N5 onward.
と (exhaustive) vs や (partial) — listing nouns
と creates a complete, closed list: "A and B (and nothing else)". や creates an open, partial list: "things like A and B (among others)". や often pairs with など to reinforce the partial meaning. This is one of the most frequently tested N5 distinctions.
とか (casual partial) and たり〜たり (representative actions)
とか is the casual version of や — it lists items or actions non-exhaustively in spoken Japanese. たり〜たりする lists representative actions ("do things like A and B"). たり is formed from the plain past (た-form) + り. The final する carries the tense and politeness.
し (listing reasons/qualities) and なり (presenting alternatives)
し lists multiple reasons or qualities to support a conclusion: "A, and also B, so…". It adds a cumulative, persuasive tone. なり (N2) presents alternatives meaning "either A or B" or "A, or something like A". なり often appears as AなりBなり ("either A or B — your choice").
Common mistakes
りんごやみかんを買った (meaning "only these two")
Rightりんごとみかんを買った
や implies a partial list ("things like apples and oranges"). If you bought exactly apples and oranges and nothing else, use と for the exhaustive list.
本を読むたり、映画を見るたりする
Right本を読んだり、映画を見たりする
たり must attach to the plain past form (た-form): 読む → 読んだ → 読んだり. Using the dictionary form + たり is a common conjugation error.
安いし、おいしいし (with no conclusion)
Right安いし、おいしいし、いい店だ。
し lists reasons leading to a conclusion or judgment. Ending with し and no follow-up sounds incomplete. Always include the conclusion: 安いし、おいしいし → だから最高だ / いい店だ.
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What is the difference between と and や?
と is exhaustive — it lists ALL items (A and B, and that is everything). や is partial — it lists SOME items as examples (things like A and B, among others). On a test: "ペンと本がある" = exactly a pen and a book. "ペンや本がある" = a pen, a book, and probably other things too.
When should I use とか instead of や?
とか is the casual spoken equivalent of や. Use や in writing, formal speech, and exams. Use とか in everyday conversation with friends. とか can also follow verbs (食べるとか飲むとか), while や is typically limited to nouns.
Does たり〜たりする always need する at the end?
Yes, in proper grammar. する carries the tense and politeness: 読んだり書いたりします (polite), 読んだり書いたりした (past). In very casual speech, する is sometimes dropped, but for exams and formal writing, always include it.